Added 9 October 2026
hardness
/ˈhɑɹdnəs/ noun
In Latin: dūritās Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hardness at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale.
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A quality of water that contains dissolved mineral salts that prevent soap from lathering.
the costs of reducing hardness depend on the relative amounts of calcium and magnesium compounds that are present
- Devoid of passion or feeling; hardheartedness.
Origin
From Middle English hardness, hardnesse, from Old English heardnes, from heard + -nes, equivalent to hard + -ness.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)